A 'vigorous cultural movement'The Pigott inquiry and country museums in Australia, 1975

by Anne-Marie Condé

Published in 1975, The Report of the Committee of Inquiry on Museums and National Collections (known as the Pigott report) marks a key development in the history of museums in Australia, especially because of the committee's recommendation that a national museum be established in Canberra. Less well-known is the committee's interest in growing numbers of local, provincial, living history and private museums. This article examines some of the records of the Pigott committee in order to discuss aspects of the development of small museums in Australia in the 1970s.